Session A2:

Settling Cases in the Age of Nuclear Verdicts: Securing Insurers’ Consent and Participation in Settling High-Value Cases

In recent years, "nuclear verdicts" – jury awards that exceed $10 million – have shaken the insurance industry. Their increasing frequency and severity over the past decade has changed the dynamics of settlement discussions, forcing insurers and policyholders alike to consider strategies that minimize risk without surrendering control. For attorneys and claims professionals, navigating these high-stakes settlements requires both effective negotiation strategies and a solid understanding of the insurer-policyholder relationship. This presentation will equip attendees with practical tools and insights to better manage high-stakes settlements, foster cooperative engagement with insurers, and ultimately avoid the fallout of nuclear verdicts.

Presenters:

• Rachel E. Hudgins has litigated hundreds of insurance coverage and bad faith claims in state and federal courts across the country and U.S. territories brought under a spectrum of insurance policies issued to individuals, public and private corporations, and government entities. Rachel’s success comes from cases ranging from the ordinary, such as storm-damaged properties, phishing-related data breaches, and wrongful employment termination, to the extraordinary, such as grand jury investigations, parasailing-related injuries, fraternity party injuries, blockades at the Indian-Nepali border, mass livestock deaths, exploding e-cigarettes, art provenance investigations, and free-fall drops at county fairs. Most recently, she has advised clients in a variety of industries on COVID-19 losses under first-party property and business interruption policies.

Session B2:

Attracting, Retaining, Promoting & Engaging Diverse Talent in Insurance

This presentation outlines strategies for insurance, brokerage, and risk management companies to attract, retain, promote, and engage diverse talent. It emphasizes outreach through partnerships with schools, scholarships, and DEI-focused branding to build a diverse talent pipeline. Retaining and promoting talent requires inclusive workplaces, mentorship programs, and transparent promotion pathways. The presentation also highlights the importance of supporting neurodivergent and disabled employees through accessible work environments and flexible policies. Companies should make financial commitments, engage communities, and publicly report on diversity goals to foster long-term success. Finally, actionable tips are provided for diverse professionals to advance their careers, including mentorship, networking, and earning certifications.

Presenters:

• Jenny Saint Preux, MBA, CPCU, AINS, AIS, is an accomplished insurance professional with over a decade of expertise in underwriting, training, quality assurance, and talent development. She's actively involved in the insurance industry with special focus on supporting young professionals in their career development.

Session C2:

Unlocking Business Income: Define, Quantify and Allocate

Confused about Business Income (BI) values, business interruption exposures, and allocated BI values? You’re not alone. These terms are often debated and mixing them up in insurance negotiations can have serious consequences for pricing and coverage. This discussion aims to clarify the situation. BI values are critical for a company’s financial protection strategy. They are essential for maintaining stability during disruptions. Inaccurately calculated BI values can lead to underinsurance and severe financial losses. Research shows many companies miscalculate or improperly allocate these values, exposing themselves to significant risk. Companies struggle with BI calculations because traditional methods are often manual, time-consuming, and complicated. Multi-location businesses face additional challenges in allocating BI values accurately. We’ll focus on two key methods for calculating BI values—the Deduction Method and the Build-Up Method—and how businesses can effectively allocate these values across different locations. Understanding these concepts is vital for ensuring proper coverage and mitigating risks.

Presenter:

• Maximilian Glodde is a Chartered Financial Analyst and co-founder of MEO Continuity. With a robust background in risk management and business continuity, Max is renowned for his expertise in business impact analysis and risk quantification. His career journey began at MVF, providing him with deep market insights, and progressed through significant roles at Accenture in the UK and Boston, where he consulted for premier Tier 1 investment banks. As a Senior Business Risk Consultant at FM Global, Max delivered strategic risk assessments and recommendations to Fortune 1000 companies. At MEO Continuity, he has been instrumental in developing a cutting-edge SaaS platform that revolutionizes business continuity planning, offering scalable and resilient solutions for organizations. Max's international project experience includes performing business impact analysis (BIA) and business continuity planning (BCP) for notable companies such as The Greenbrier Companies, Archer Daniels Midland, Envista Corporation, Mahle AG, Skyworks Inc., Waters Corporation, Boston Scientific, Momentive Performance Materials, and Bose Corporation.

• Eric Saraiva is the Head of Business Development and Partner at MEO Continuity. Eric brings extensive experience in accounting, risk management, business development, and operational due diligence. Before joining MEO Continuity in 2024, he spent nine years at FM Global, where he served as a Business Development Executive, and Senior Business Risk Consultant. His work involved delivering strategic risk assessments and comprehensive business continuity management support to Fortune 500 companies. Earlier in his career, Eric held positions at Deloitte, and PwC. Eric holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Monmouth University. Fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, Eric is committed to building partnerships that enhance organizational resilience. Eric’s project experience includes performing business impact analysis (BIA) and business continuity planning (BCP) for notable companies such as Xylem, Trane Technologies, Bristol Myers Squibb, TE Connectivity, Integra LifeSciences, and Zoetis.

Session D2:

Now Serving Best Practices and Risk Innovation

Workers’ compensation lends itself to an exchange of ideas.  While all employees and programs are unique, there are common themes and practices that can be successfully replicated by other organizations. This session will center on a candid discussion as to how one of today’s leading employers addresses everyday workers’ compensation challenges, the strategies and programs put in place, and the results and outcomes achieved.  The discussion will begin around the role of culture and philosophy and how these guiding principles can and should be reflected in an organization’s workers’ compensation program.  We will also focus on workforce safety and prevention as well as injured employee care and recovery. Additionally, we will address technology and talent and how these resources can be used to elevate and complement each other.  As members of the risk management community, we are in corporate leadership positions with an ability to impact the lives of those around us. In this session, we invite you to join us as a part of this journey.

Presenters:

• Steve Figliuolo has been working in insurance and risk for the last two decades. He is the Principal Program Lead of claims for Chick-fil-A Inc. and is responsible for oversight of casualty, property, cyber, crime, FinPro, and additional coverages

  
  

• Doug Clark has over 22 years of experience insurance and completed the Sedgwick Client Services Leadership Development Program. As Assistant Vice President, Doug oversees claims service delivery to some of Sedgwick’s largest and most prestigious clients.